Standard specimen and method of making and using same

Abstract

This invention provides a standard specimen useful for the quantitative evaluation of performance of stains, staining solutions and staining processes used on biological specimens, and also for the evaluation of dyestuffs. The standard specimens are comprised of extracts of biological materials containing protein and/or nucleic acid which are incorporated into a reproducible plastic matrix of controlled thickness. The standard specimen so produced is useful in the quantitative performance evaluation of a dyeing or staining process, thereby providing information for process control and quantitative analysis and comparisons. The invention also provides for the method of preparing the standard specimen of the invention, as well as for the method of using the standard specimen.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A standard specimen for the quantitative evaluation of stain performance in staining processes which utilize dyes to stain cells or tissues which stained cells or tissue exhibit characteristic spectra when subjected to light transmission analysis, which standard specimen comprises a uniform amount of biological material extracted from cells or tissue incorporated into a plastic matrix which specimen-containing matrix is capable of being reproduced and which specimen-containing matrix is sectioned to a controlled thickness and stained and mounted and which specimen-containing matrix presents a uniform field constant from one area of the specimen-containing matrix to the next, and which exhibits spectra substantially the same as the characteristic spectra of the cells or tissue stained when subjected to light transmission analysis. 
     
     
       2. A standard specimen according to claim 1 wherein the biological material contains protein. 
     
     
       3. A standard specimen according to claim 1 wherein the biological material contains nucleic acid. 
     
     
       4. A standard specimen according to claim 1 wherein the biological material is selected from the group consisting of bovine liver acetone powder, nucleoprotamine or defatted horse muscle. 
     
     
       5. A standard specimen according to claim 1, wherein the plastic matrix is an epoxy. 
     
     
       6. A standard specimen according to claim 5, wherein the epoxy is glycol methacrylate epoxy. 
     
     
       7. A process for the preparation of a standard specimen for the quantitative evaluation of stain performance in staining processes which utilize dyes to stain cells or tissue and, which comprises incorporating a uniform amount of biological material extracted from cells or tissue into a plastic matrix, which specimen-containing matrix is capable of being reproduced and which specimen-containing matrix is sectioned to a controlled thickness and stained and mounted on a slide and which specimen-containing matrix presents a uniform field constant from one area of the specimen-containing matrix to the next when subjected to light transmission analysis. 
     
     
       8. A process according to in claim 7, wherein the biological material contains protein. 
     
     
       9. A process according to claim 7, wherein the biological material contains nucleic acid. 
     
     
       10. A process according to claim 7, wherein the biological material is selected from the group consisting of bovine liver acetone powder, nucleoprotamine or defatted horse muscle. 
     
     
       11. A process according to claim 7, wherein the plastic matrix is an epoxy. 
     
     
       12. A process according to in claim 11, wherein the epoxy is glycol methacrylate epoxy. 
     
     
       13. A method for evaluating stain or dye performance in staining processes which utilize dyes to stain cells or tissue, which comprises comparing, by means of quantitative analysis of parameters dependent on light transmission, a specimen treated with the stain or dye with a standard specimen, which standard specimen comprises a uniform amount of biological material extracted from cells or tissue which is incorporated into a plastic matrix, which specimen-containing matrix is capable of being reproduced and which specimen-containing matrix is sectioned to a controlled thickness ad stained and placed on a slide and which specimen-containing matrix presents a uniform field constant from one area of the specimen-containing matrix to the next when subjected to light transmission analysis. 
     
     
       14. A method for evaluating stain or dye performance according to claim 13, wherein the quantitative analysis is light transmission analysis which compares the respective light transmission of the specimen being evaluated with that of the standard specimen. 
     
     
       15. A method for evaluating a biological specimen comprising cells or tissue which method comprises comparing by means of quantitative analysis of parameters dependent on light transmission, the specimen to be evaluated with a standard specimen, which standard specimen comprises a uniform amount of biological material extracted from cells or tissue incorporated into a plastic matrix, which specimen-containing matrix is capable of being reproduced and which specimen-containing matrix is sectioned to a controlled thickness and stained and placed on a slide, and which specimen-containing matrix presents a uniform field constant from one area of the specimen-containing matrix to the next when subjected to light transmission analysis. 
     
     
       16. A method for evaluating a biological specimen according to claim 15, wherein the quantitative analysis is ploidy analysis. 
     
     
       17. A method for evaluating a biological specimen according to claim 15, wherein the quantitative analysis is integrated optical density analysis. 
     
     
       18. A method for evaluating a biological specimen according to claim 15, wherein the quantitative analysis is light scattering analysis. 
     
     
       19. A method for evaluating a biological specimen according to claim 15, wherein the quantitative analysis is the analysis of light polarization effects. 
     
     
       20. A method for evaluating a biological specimen according to claim 15, wherein the quantitative analysis is fluorescence analysis. 
     
     
       21. A method for evaluating stain or dye performance in staining processes which utilize dyes to stain cells or tissues, which comprises comparing a specimen treated with the stain or dye with a standard specimen, which comparison is carried out by means of quantitative analysis comparing the respective spectra when subjected to light transmission analysis of the specimen to be evaluated with the standard specimen, and which standard specimen comprises a uniform amount of nucleoprotamine which is incorporated into an epoxy matrix and mounted on a slide, which specimen-containing matrix is capable of being reproduced and which specimen-containing matrix is sectioned to a controlled thickness and stained and placed on a slide, and which specimen-containing matrix presents a uniform field constant from one area of the specimen-containing matrix to the next when subjected to light transmission analysis.